The Faces of Jesus
By Frederick Buechner
Jesus is the word made flesh, the truth narrated in bone and bowel, space and time.” Rev. Buechner is the teller of the story of Jesus, and his consummate skill is less important than the humility that is the most edifying feature of these sermons His craftsmanship never draws attention to itself but is given over in praise and service to “Jesus’ story, which is a love story.” “The Faces of Jesus: A Life Story” offers brief, evocative meditations on the Annunciation and on the nativity, ministry, Last Supper, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Reading this book is akin to praying with religious art, with Rev. Buechner as a reverent guide to the artist’s intent. His text suggests the tone rather than details of the Gospel. Here he writes about the “turbulent activity” and relentless flow” of Jesus’ ministry. “With the jerky haste of an old newsreel, Jesus flickers across the light-struck Galilean landscape. Parables and beatitudes fill the air about him like scratches on an old film—Blessed are the meek, the poor, the pure in heart—and people throng about him to be healed. A woman stretches out her hand to touch the hem of his garment as he goes hurrying by. At Cana he stops long enough to go to a wedding, and when his mother tells him the wine has given out, his answer is impatient and time-haunted. ‘My hour has not yet come,’ he says, but he takes time to do her bidding anyway and make wine out of the six great jars of water.” Rev. Buechner’s meditation on the Last Supper and Crucifixion is suffused by empathy for this Messiah, “the Jew retching out his life from the cross of his pain,” the “fierce and fiercely gentle man who spills himself out, his very flesh and blood.” In reverent prose, Rev. Buechner allows us to glimpse the “face of Jesus as our face.” It is a lovely, perhaps unexpected, gift from a fine writer and obedient disciple.
- The Faces of Jesus is part of our Fusion Library
Status: Available - Buy The Faces of Jesus on Amazon
Reviews
No reviews at this time. Click the link below to be the first.
Have you read this book? Help improve our site by adding your thoughts.
About the Author
Frederick Buechner
Frederick Buechner is an American writer and theologian. Born July 11, 1926 in New York City, he is an ordained Presbyterian minister and the author of more than thirty published books thus far. His work encompasses many genres, including fiction, autobiography, essays and sermons, and historical fiction, and his career has spanned six decades, making him one of the most prolific writers of the day. Buechner’s books are among the most widely-read in America, and have been translated into many languages for publication around the world. He is best known for his works A Long Day’s Dying (his first work, published in 1950); The Book of Bebb, a tetralogy based on the character Leo Bebb published in 1977; Godric, a first person narrative of the medieval saint, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1981; Brendan, a second historical novel of the saint’s life, published in 1987; Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner (1992); and his autobiographical works The Sacred Journey (1982), Now and Then (1983), Telling Secrets (1991), and The Eyes of the Heart: Memoirs of the Lost and Found (1999). He has been called “Major talent” and “…a very good writer indeed” by the New York Times, and “one of our most original storytellers” by USA Today. Annie Dillard (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek) says: “Frederick Buechner is one of our finest writers.”
Buechner’s work inspires his numerous fans to see the grace in their daily lives. As stated in the London Free Press, “He is one of our great novelists because he is one of our finest religious writers.” As an ordained Presbyterian minister, Buechner brings a unique perspective to his works of fiction and nonfiction alike, and his writings have received great acclaim from both secular and religious audiences. He has been a finalist for the National Book Award Presented by the National Book Foundation and the Pulitzer Prize , and has been awarded eight honorary degrees from such institutions as Yale University and the Virginia Theological Seminary. In addition, Buechner has been the recipient of the O. Henry Award, the Rosenthal Award, the Christianity and Literature Belles Lettres Prize, and has been recognized by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters[9]. He is continually listed among the most read authors by Christian audiences.